Rattlesnakes
by J. Frank Dobie
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Here are observations and speculations, legends and yarns, even gossip about the habits and dispositions of these extraordinary creatures--rattlesnakes--their reported size, deadliness, and power to charm their natural enemies. Here are descriptions of actual fights to the death between rattlesnakes and other animals and accounts of the strange experiences human beings have had with them, as well as tips on where to find them and how to act when you see one. Dobie began systematically show more collecting lore about the rattlesnake world many years ago, using some of it in such regional publications as Southwest Review and incorporating much of it into essays--with the intention of eventually putting together a book about rattlesnakes. Now, in this collection of twenty-two articles, his wish is posthumously fulfilled. Only Frank Dobie could tell of this fascinating and frightening creature with such wisdom and humor, thereby tempering "the age-old feud between the snake and man." And the rattlesnake--who once aroused fear among even the boldest men in the Old West--can at last be regarded with tolerance, respect, and even affection. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
The following sentence opened a paragraph near the beginning of the book: "A cowman in Oregon by the name of Garley had a buxom young wife and a very handsome pair of shopmade boots." How do you beat that for an opener? The entire book is chock full of stories, most interesting and well-written, though numerous examples are somewhat dubious in their nature. Wee worth the read!
I'm not sure what I feel about a book on rattlesnakes, but this was a pleasant light read. It was published posthumously. It's about 90% tales from historical documents, interviews (from before tape recorders, so usually written down by the author from memory the next day) and letters to the author. Like much his work many of his stories come from talking to people in the early 20th century about their memories from the 19th century.
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73+ Works 2,374 Members
J. Frank Dobie was born on a ranch in Live Oak County, Texas on September 26, 1888. He graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas in 1910 and received his master's degree from Columbia University. He became an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist. He wrote numerous books depicting life in rural Texas including A show more Vaquero of the Brush Country, On the Open Range, Tongues of the Monte, The Voice of the Coyote, Tales of Old Time Texas, I'll Tell You a Tale, and Cow People. Coronado's Children won the Literary Guild Award in 1931. On September 14, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded him the Medal of Freedom. He died four days later on September 18, 1964. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Rattlesnakes
- Original publication date
- 1964
- Epigraph
- Old Rattler, it is part of Nature's plan
That I should grind you underneath my heel--
The age-old feud between the snake and man--
As Adam felt in Eden, I should feel.
And yet, Old Rattlesnake, I honor you;
You claim your own, as you've a right to do--
This was your Eden--I intruded here.
--Vaida Stewart Montgomery "To A Rattlesnake" - First words
- The scientific facts about rattlesnakes are available in many places, ranging from the encyclopedia to the books of Raymond L. Ditmars, the great herpetologist.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)No doubt the cave is still there, its darkness as withholding as when Pedro emerged from it for the last time.
- Original language
- English
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Statistics
- Members
- 100
- Popularity
- 324,078
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.31)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 9
